By: Noelle Adams
When I wrote the first draft of Seducing the Enemy, I’d just come off a frenzy of reading
historical romances. The story I wanted to write was definitely a contemporary
one—the characters, the plot, and the scenarios I intended to explore could only
take place in a contemporary timeframe. But I couldn’t quite shake a few themes
that are particularly strong in historicals, so I worked them into the
contemporary romance.
Because of this, there is a lot of interplay between the
present and the past in Seducing theEnemy. Part of this comes from the primary source of conflict—a tragic
accident that occurred fifteen years prior to the events of the book. But part
of it comes in the character of Cyrus Damon, who is the patriarch of the Damon
family. Cyrus is an eccentric billionaire who lives on a sprawling English
estate and who would rather live in an earlier century.
Harrison, the hero of the book, is one of the Damon heirs
and nephews, and he is trapped by very strong family responsibilities and
commitments because of his uncle’s old-fashioned code of honor. They way
Harrison and Marietta have to maneuver between the contemporary world and
long-standing threads of history that keep tangling them is one of the distinct
aspects of the story.
Here is a teaser excerpt that deals with this interplay of
contemporary and historical, a conversation between Harrison and his brother,
Andrew.
Andrew
shook his head. “I was declared a useless philanderer who brought nothing but
shame to the family.”
Harrison
stopped in the middle of the hallway and checked his brother’s expression. It
revealed nothing. “He didn’t mean that.”
“Oh,
he did. You know Lord Uncle as well as I do. If there’s a choice between one of
us and his archaic sense of honor, his honor will always win.”
Andrew
was half-smiling, as if their uncle’s eccentricity was amusing, but Harrison
found his comment troubling. “I don’t think that’s true.”
“You’re
blind to him sometimes. Look what happened with Ben.”
There
was no disputing the ruthless inflexibility that had led to Benjamin’s
desertion. Not wanting to dwell on it, Harrison changed the subject. “He really
called you a philanderer?”
Andrew
laughed, the slight tension in his mouth relaxing. “Keep hitting on Marietta,
and maybe he’ll call you one, too.”
If history is important to us as people, then it will
naturally be part of contemporary romances at times. What other ways might
history be important or relevant in contemporary romance?
Noelle Adams Bio:
Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound
notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has
lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she
teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to
a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After
spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to
reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
Website: http://noelle-adams.com/
Facebook
Page: https://www.facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoelleAdams3
Seducing the Enemy
After being injured in a tragic accident as a child,
Marietta Edwards has lived a sheltered life. Finally recovered, she wants to
indulge in pleasures that are entirely new to her, so she begins by seducing a
sexy, mysterious stranger. Only after their one-night stand does she learn
their families have been embroiled in a fifteen-year legal battle and the man
she’s given herself to is her worst enemy.
The heir to a vast fortune, Harrison Damon believes the
unforgettable night he spent with Marietta in Monte Carlo is just a fling, an
escape from his responsibilities. Then he discovers she is an Edwards—the
family he despises most. He can’t quench his attraction for her, but he won’t
let her use it against him. He won’t let her manipulate him to win money from
his family. No matter how much he wants her, he won’t let her seduce him again.
I love these storylines...it's always great to see how two people in love can turn around age old feuds....or at least stop future generations from hating!
ReplyDeleteI love these multi generational stories as they tend to add richness to the romance. I'll definitely be checking this out.
ReplyDeleteHi Noelle,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great plotline for your book--I'm always in awe of you who can pull off such intricate weaving of detail and timelines. I clearly need to do more digging into historical knowledge--you guys have so much fun! Good luck with the book!
I love stories like this! I always think its neat to be able to "look back" into a different time and see all the differences in how we are living today. Good luck with the book! It sounds awesome!
ReplyDelete